MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine security minister draws spotlight on complicity between social leaders and drug rings

“The advances in the fight against drug trafficking are evident, the change that has taken place is enormous,” Bullrich said.

Argentina's Security Minister Patricia Bullrich Thursday took aim before Congress at an alleged complicity between “certain social movements” and drug trafficking in villas de emergencia (shanty towns).

 The minister said that some of the so called social leaders tried to stop anti-drug operations in those areas.

She made an ironclad defense of the Government's policy against drug trafficking. “We have many cases in which we have had situations of disarming bunkers and arrests of people who attended them, and a situation of attack towards the security forces by certain people who participate in certain social movements, trying to stop these procedures,” she said before the Bicameral Commission for the Inspection of Internal Security Bodies and Activities.

Bullrich thus reheated a controversy from earlier this week with Minister of Health and Social Development Carolina Stanley, who has a more open approach at social movements and promotes welfare through these organizations.

“It is necessary for leaders to understand that the person selling drugs cannot be protected, it is a fundamental issue to be able to move forward,” Bullrich insisted as she made it clear her statement was not to be taken in a broad sense, but that “we have episodes” during which justice is obstructed.

Bullrich also highlighted other successful figures of her tenure, which began on December 10, 2015, the day President Mauricio Macri took office. She underlined that the number of intentional murders has decreased in Argentina, while drug seizures and drug-related arrests hace increased notoriously, which she recalled have earned Argentina the best rating in criminal statistics in Argentina's history this past September from the United Nations.

In 2017 the number of arrests had increased by 42% in cases of drug trafficking and there were 10.2% more anti-drug raids.

“The advances in the fight against drug trafficking are evident, the change that has taken place is enormous,” the minister emphasized.

Asked by Deputy Mayra Mendoza about the death of Mapuche leader Rafael Nahuel in 2017 in Bariloche, Bullrich replied: “With what evidence do you say it was a confrontation? Check the judiciary dossier, where there is a series of data, such as the analysis that indicated that Nahuel had gunpowder in his hands.”

She added that the investigation was still under way, but “we are convinced that the Coast Guard officers were attacked.”

The studies were not conclusive as to whether Nahuel had fired a weapon or had been in contact with someone who had. “We have to condemn institutional violence, not make up events that did not happen,” Bullrich concluded.